Transfer Timeline

Is it time to transfer?

How do you know when you've arrived at the best time to transfer to the U? Should
you finish your Associate's Degree or transfer earlier? These are important questions
for all potential transfer students. Here are some options open to transfer students
considering transferring to the U.

Completing an Associate's Degree

Most Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degrees require close to
60 hours of semester credit and consist of two basic parts. Half of the total hours
needed for the degree (30+ hours) are met by taking general education courses. The
other half are met by taking courses for your emphasis area or major along with a
few electives. In the case of a General Studies AA or AS, a variety of approved courses
fill these hours.

30 HRS GENERAL ED + 30 HRS MAJOR/ELECTIVES = AA/AS DEGREEAn AA or AS degree from a Utah state school will automatically clear your lower level
general education requirements at the U of U.A full AA or AS degree is not necessarily the best path for all students interested
in a Bachelors Degree at the U of U.

Receiving a Interstate Passport (formerly a Letter of Completion)

By completing only the general education requirements for your Associate's degree
(roughly 30 credit hours) at your Utah State school, you can get something called
an Interstate Passport which will also clear you of the lower-level general education
requirements at the U. You will want to work with the academic advisors at your school
to determine which classes to take to receive the Passport.

Once you are close to completing your general education at your two-year school, you
should investigate whether it is more productive to continue on for the full Associate's
or whether transferring with just an Interstate Passport makes more sense for you.

Transferring without an Associate's or Interstate Passport

Students do not need to have completed either of the first two options to transfer
to the U. If you do not have one of the above "packages" then your credits will be
evaluated individually and credit will be given for general education, major requirements
etc based on the content of the courses you took.

What's Your U of U Major Going to Be?

The answer to this question is probably the biggest factor in determining when to
transfer.

Some majors at the U. have identified classes at institutions across the state that
can clear requirements for their major. This process is called "articulation." If
the major you are interested in at the U is articulated at your school, then that
means you will be able to take some major classes as part of your AA or AS degree.

Other U of U majors have few or no classes that are articulated at other Utah schools.
This means that a student cannot be working effectively toward their major at the
U while finishing up their AA or AS degree. A transfer student interested in these
majors who wants to be really efficient should consider transferring to the U. with
a Letter of Completion (or even sooner for some majors).

Besides articulation of major courses another factor to consider when deciding when
to transfer is the length of your major. U of U majors vary in the number of credit
hours they require to fill major requirements. Some professional programs like Business,
Engineering, Pharmacy and Education require over 90 credit hours of major requirements
while other majors like Psychology, Political Science, and English require 40 credit
hours or less to fill major requirements. If the major you are interested in at the
U. is relatively short, it may not matter if the major requirements are articulated
at your current school. You can wait to begin taking major requirements until you
transfer to the U and still graduate in a timely manner.

Let Us Help You!

The transfer advisors at the Transfer Program are some of your best resources to help
you decide when it will be best for you to transfer to the U. Begin working with us
early in your academic career; we should see you in your first or second semester
of college to begin discussing your future at the University of Utah.